All at once a new sound broke upon Betty's ears. The dog's continuous whine, of which she had been dimly aware like an undercurrent in the swift torrent of Wolvert's words, had changed suddenly to a deep, full-throated cry which seemed to her excited fancy to be drawing nearer and nearer. A swift thought like a prayer mounted in her brain and by a supreme effort she extricated her head from the stifling folds of her captor's coat where he had crushed her to his breast.
The cry came again and with it the soft rush of padded feet on moist yielding ground. Betty drew a deep breath and screamed with all the power of her pent-up fear.
"Demon! Here! Come here!"
With an oath, Wolvert's arms dropped from about her and he sprang backward as a huge, dark shape lunged through the undergrowth and sprang full at his throat. The force of the impact hurled Betty aside and when she had picked herself up she turned to find Wolvert stretched upon the ground, the great dog standing over him, with every hair a-bristle and yellow fangs bared in a snarl, as he hesitated at the sound of her voice.
"Demon!"
He turned his shaggy head obediently to glance up into her eyes, but one great paw remained planted upon Wolvert's breast.
"Guard him, Demon! If he moves, take him by the throat!" An inarticulate murmur issued from the lips of the prostrate man and the snarl changed to a growl of menace.
"Don't let him get away! Until your master comes. Demon, on guard!"
The dog's eyes answered her and he dropped his out-thrust jaw upon his paws, within an inch of Wolvert's throat.
Betty turned swiftly and walked off among the trees. As she neared the house a man came running from the direction of the garage and paused beside her, touching his cap.